The Guinea Pig: Vegetarian chicken tenders

Please don’t eat me.

Meat substitutes aren’t always appetizing. For example, I ate a Burger King veggie burger recently and it was a salty, mushy mess with little flecks of bell pepper in it. But not all my experiences have been so gag-worthy.

Quorn – Chik’n Tenders, 12 0z. bag, $5.99

Those who practic meat-free diets have to find other ways to get protein, and pre-packaged meat substitutes are one option. Quorn (pronounced “corn” with a “u”) has a variety of products, including faux chicken nuggets and fillets. They are a great source of protein. The tenders have 10 grams per serving.

I picked the Chik’n Tenders because they are versatile and work in a bunch of different dishes, stir frys and kabobs included. They need to be combined with something, however, because on their own, they’re pretty tasteless. But texture-wise, they’re very close to chicken, soft but chewy. They’re also very easy to cook and can be tossed in a skillet straight from the freezer. I tried them in a stir fry and found that they still held up.

I especially liked the way it soaked up flavor, much like tofu. In my stir fry, the tenders took on the sweet soy sauce and still stayed firm. They were even better the second day when I had the left overs for lunch.

The Verdict: A meat substitue so good, it’ll make carnivores jealous.

About these ads